Daf 128b (דַּף קכ״ח ע״ב)

Avraham said to him: Behold, I am destined before Kudsha Berikh Hu on your behalf, that you not be ashamed before Him forever (אָמַר אַבְרָהָם: הָא אֲנָא זַמִּין קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינָךְ דְּלָא תִכְסִיף קַמֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין). Immediately: “And afterward, Avraham buried Sarah his wife” (Bereishit 23) (מִיָּד: וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ). What is “and afterward”? After Avraham accepted upon himself this matter (מַאי וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן - בָּתַר דְּקַבִּיל אַבְרָהָם עֲלֵיהּ מִלָּה דָא).

Adam returned to his place; Chavah did not enter, until Avraham came close and brought her in to be with Adam, and he accepted her on his behalf (אָדָם עָאל בְּדוּכְתֵּיהּ, חַוָּה לָא עָאלַת, עַד דְּקָרִיב אַבְרָהָם וְאָעִיל לָהּ לְגַבֵּי אָדָם וְקַבִּיל לָהּ בְּגִינֵיהּ). This is what is written: “And afterward, Avraham buried Sarah his wife” - regarding Sarah it is not written “to Sarah” but “et Sarah”, to elevate Chavah (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן קָבַר אַבְרָהָם אֶת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ - לְשָׂרָה לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא אֶת שָׂרָה, לְאַסְגָּאָה חַוָּה), and then they were settled in their proper places as is fitting (וּכְדֵין אִתְיַישְׁבוּ בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת). This is what is written: “These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created” (Bereishit 2) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ בְּהִבָּרְאָם), and we have learned - this refers to Avraham (וְתָנִינָן: בְּאַבְרָהָם).

“The generations of the heavens and the earth” - this is Adam and Chavah (תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ דָּא אָדָם וְחַוָּה). It does not say “these the heavens and the earth” but “the generations of the heavens and the earth” - and not the generations of mankind (אֵלֶּה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ לֹא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא תּוֹלְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, וְלֹא תּוֹלְדוֹת בַּר נָשׁ), and they were established through Avraham (וְאִינוּן אִתְקָיְימוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם). And how do we know that they were established through Avraham? Because it is written: “And the field and the cave within it arose for Avraham” (וּמְנָא לָן דְּאִתְקָיְימוּ בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם - דִּכְתִיב: וַיָּקָם הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם). And until Avraham came, Adam and Chavah were not established in their proper places in that world (וְעַד דְּאָתָא אַבְרָהָם לָא אִתְקָיְימוּ אָדָם וְחַוָּה בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא).

Rabbi El'azar asked his father, Rabbi Shim'on (רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר שָׁאִיל לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲבוֹי), He said (אָמַר): This cave is not itself the double one (הַאי מְעַרְתָּא לָאו אִיהוּ כָּפֵילְתָּא), for behold it is written “the cave of Machpelah” (דְּהָא כְּתִיב מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה), and the verse calls it afterward “the cave of the field of Machpelah” (וּקְרָא קָרֵי לָהּ לְבָתַר מְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה), Machpelah it calls the field (מַכְפֵּלָה קָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ לַשָּׂדֶה). He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): Thus he calls it “the cave of Machpelah” (הָכִי קָארֵי לֵיהּ מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה), as you say (כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר): “and he shall give to me the cave of Machpelah” (וְיִתֶּן לִי אֶת מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה). But surely, by your life, it is not the cave itself that is doubled (אֲבָל וַדַּאי חַיֶּיךָ לָאו מְעַרְתָּא אִיהוּ מַכְפֵּלָה), and the field is also not called Machpelah (וְלָאו שָׂדֶה אִקְרֵי מַכְפֵּלָה). Rather, this field and cave are called the field of Machpelah due to something else called Machpelah (אֶלָּא הַאי שָׂדֶה וּמְעַרְתָּא עַל שׁוּם מַכְפֵּלָה אִקְרוּן שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה וַדַּאי), and not because of the cave itself (וְלָא מְעַרְתָּא), for the cave is within the field (דְּהָא מְעַרְתָּא בַּשָּׂדֶה אִיהִי), and that field pertains to another matter (וְהַהוּא שָׂדֶה קָאִים בְּמִלָּה אָחֳרָא).

Come and see: Yerushalayim - all the land of Yisrael is folded beneath it (תָּא חֲזֵי, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם כָּל אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְכַּפַּל תְּחוֹתָהּ), and it stands above and below (וְאִיהִי קָיְימָא לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא), in this configuration: Yerushalayim above, Yerushalayim below (כְּגַוְונָא דָא: יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְעֵילָא, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְתַתָּא), one joined above, and one joined below (אֲחִידָא לְעֵילָא וְאַחִידָא לְתַתָּא); Yerushalayim above is joined in two directions - above and below (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְעֵילָא אֲחִידַת בִּתְרֵין סִטְרִין לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא), And because of this she is doubled (וּבְגִין כָּךְ כָּפֶלְתָּא הִיא).